Valve



Patented June 21,1927.

UNITED STATES EDGAR EARLE LITTLEFIELD, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

VALVE.

Application filed March 18, 1922. Serial No. 544,878.

My invention relates to electrically act-uated valves and consists of improvements which provide a valve capable of operation on low current consumption and compara- I tivoly low voltage. It also provides a valve capable of operation on either alternating or direct current.

By employing a 'by-pass principle of construction in conjunction with electrically actuated means I have provided a combination which is highly eflicient and economical in power consumption. The means employed are as will appear.

In the drawings Figure 1 is-a partial ver tical section and a partial front elevation of my invention. Figure 2 is a plan view on line X My valve mechanism comprises a casing 1 having an entrance opening 21 and an outlet opening 28 ordinarily screw-threaded as shown in Fig. 1 adapting the valve casing to be coupled to fluid pipes in the usual manner. Within the casing 1 I provide a. partition 30 having preferably a raised flat top constituting a valve seat 25. A valve 9. preferably having a flat bottom is adapted to seat on the valve seat 25. The valve preferably has packing 33 and a screw 33 to hold the packing in its place. The screw 33' has ahole 8' therethrough as shown in-dotted lines. Fig.1.

At the top of the valve casing I preferably insert a bonnet 12. there being a screw-thread connection between the bonnet 12 and the casing 1. The bonnet 12 conveniently comprises a downw'ardly extending portion 13 and a shoulder 32. Above the shoulder I conveniently provide a water chamber 18 in the upper portion of the bonnet 12. The

valve 9 extends upwardly from the valve seat 25 and is provided with a piston portion 9' preferably fitting loosely in the downward extension 13 of the bonnet 12. Of course the piston portion 9 must be sufiicientlv larger relatively toseat 25 than the valve 9 so that the pressure of thewater in the casing 1 will raise the valve off its seat 25 when pressure is removed from the top of the piston portion 9.

To remove the pressure from the top of the piston portion 9'1 provide a by-pass 8 as shown in Fig. 1 which extends entirely through the valve and as shown in the drawings communicates at one end with the hole 8 in the screw 8 and thence with the outlet 28 of the casing 1 and at the other end the the bonnet. 12 clamps the flange of the hol low core 35 to the top of the bonnet 12. The hollow core constitutes the core of a solenoid 15 which is closed by a stationary iron plug 4. the solenoid having the usual terminals 16 and 17 whereby connection may be made ,with a source of current.

downwardly extending portion 13 of the bonnet 12 and it forms a valve for cooperation with the shoulder 32 of the bonnet which serves as a valve seat and this valve and seat separates the water'in the water chamber 18 when it is closed from the water below except through the by-pass 8 when.

the bv-pass 8 is open. I may. however. instead of depending altogether on the loose fit of the piston 9' in the extension 13, provide a passage 31 through the piston portion 9' as shown in Fig. 1. A shoulder 38 on he lower end of. the valve stem 5 prevents the sleeve 6 from passing down over the needle valve at the lowerend of the valve stem 5.

'The operation of the device is apparent from the foregoing description and briefly stated is as follows:-Assuming that the valve 9 is seated on the valve seat 25 and' the valve "stem 5 with the valve at its lower end is seated on the valve seat 24 around the upper end of the by-pass 8 and the circuit through the terminals 16 and 17 isclosed, the sleeve 6 will be drawn into the hollow core 35 and strike the upper end of the valve stem 5 and will lift the valve from its seatallows the water in the chamber 18 to escape therefrom through the by-pass 8. and thus remove the pressure on the top of the valve 9 and the piston portion 9 being somewhat larger than the valve seat 25, the water pressure in the valve casing will lift the valve 9 from its seat and will allow the water to pass through the inlet 21'and out of the outlet 23 of the valve casing. This flow will continue until the circuit through the terminals 16 and 17 is broken when the sleeve 6 and the vaPve stem 5 will drop and close the by-pass 8, the water continuing to flow into the water chamber 18 around the piston portion 9 of the valve or through the by-pass 31 until the pressure in the chamber 18 will force the valve 9 to its seat 25 and thus stop the flow through the openings 21 and 28.

Since the magnetizable sleeve 6 has lost motion between the upper end of the valve stem 5 and the shoulder 38 it will have a hammer act-ion on the valve stem to raise it and lower it .as described.

It will thus be noticed that the only electric current required to operate the valve 9 is the small amount necessary to raise the small valve stem 5 by operating the magnetizable sleeve 6.

For energizing the coil of the solenoid I have found that the energy supplied by the,

secondary circuit of a small transformer supplying 75 watts at from 18 to 28 volts is sufiicient. However, current from any suitable source may be employed as desired.

This valve constitutes an improvement on the prior art as represented by thevalve of the patent to Schmidt. Number 959,618, pat ented May 31, 1910. The by-pass principle may be found, employed in many types of valves. Certain features of the present one may be found in one type manufactured by the Foster Engineering Company, Newark,

New Jersey. My invention supplies a combination of many valuable features which make of it a superior device in many respects.

I claim-- 1 A valve mechanism comprising a casing having main inlet and outlet openings, a main valve seat a second valve seat and a water chamber in the casing, a main valve cooperative with said main valve and second valve seats and having by-pa'sses communicating respectively with the casing inlet and outlet, one of the bypasses being a narrow passage through the valve and having a valve seat at one extremity of the passage, a small valve stem having a valve at one end cooperating with the by-pass valve seat, and electrical means for operating said valve stem. 2. A valve mechanism comprising a casing having main inlet and outlet openings, a flat face main valve seat and a secondvalve seat in the casing and a water chamber in the upper portion of the casing, a main valve cooperative with both said seats and having by-passes communicating respectively with the casing inlet and outlet, one of the bypasses being a narrow passage through the valve with a valve 'seat surrounding its upper end, a valve stem tapered to form a valve cooperative with the by-pass valve seat and electrical meansfor operating said valve stem.

3. A valve mechanism comprising a casing having main inlet and outlet openings, a main valve seat and a. water chamber in said casing, a main valve for said seat with by passes communicating respectively with the casing inlet. and outlet, one of the by-passes being a small passage through the main valve and having a valve seat at its up er extremity, an eleetromagnet having a to u lar core, a valve stem extending into said core and formed at its lower end into a valve cooperative with the main valve.

4. A valve mechanism comprising a casing having main inlet and outlet openings, a main valve seat and a water chamber in the casing, a main valve for said seat, said casing having a tubular portion above the main valve, said valve having a piston portion in said tubular portion, a valve seat in the tubular portion, the upper end of the piston portion of the main valve forming a valve cooperative with said last mentioned valve seat, by-passes communicating respectively with the casinginlet and outlet, one of the by-passes being a small passage having a valve seat at its upper extremity a valve the by-pass valve seat in stem shaped to'form a valve at its lower end cooperative with the by-pass valve seat, and electrical means for operating said valve stem.

/ 5. A valve mechanism comprising a casing having main inlet and outlet openings, a main valve seat in said casing and a main valve cooperative therewith, a bonnet with a downwardly extending tubular portion in the upper portion of the casing, and also having a valve seat therein, said main valve having a piston portion operable .in said downwardly extending tubular portion of the bonnet, the upper portion of the piston portion forming a valve cooperative with the valve seat in the bonnet, there being a by-pass in the piston portion of the main valve terminating at its upper portion in a valve seat, a valve stem with its lower end forming avalve cooperative with said last mentioned valve seat, and electrical means for operating the valve stem.

6. A valve mechanism comprising a casin having main inlet and outlet openings and a water chamber therein, a seat within said casing arranged to support the weight of a main valve, a: main valve supported by said seat, by-passes communicating respectively with the casing inlet and outlet, one of the by-passes'being a. passage through the mam valve and having a valve seat at one extremity of the passage, a second valve member having a valve at one end co-operating with the by-pass valve seat, said member displacing less fluid than the main valve, and electrical means forming a part of the water chamber for operating said second valve member.

7. A valve mechanism comprising a casing having main inlet and outlet openings and having an imperforate part of its wall forming a chamber, an armature within the chamber an auxiliary valve controlled by the armature, a main valve provided with'a bypass having a seat', the auxiliary valve cooperating with said seat, the weight of the auxiliary valve being less than that of the main valve, and electrical means controlling said armature.

8. A valve mechanism comprising a casing having main inlet and outlet openings and having a imperforate part of its wall forming a chamber, a seat within said casing arranged to support the weight of a main valve, a main valve supported by and having cushioned engagement with said seat, said valve having a by-ipass with a valve seat at one extremity thereof, "an auxiliary valve device co-acting with the seat of said by-pass,

said auxiliary valve device havin an armature within said ,chamber, an electrical means controlling said armature.

9. A valve mechanism comprising a casing having main inlet and outlet openin s, aseat arranged to support the weight 0 a main valve within said casing, armain' valve co-operating with said seat, said valve having a by-pass with a valve seat at one end of the main valve, a small auxiliary valve device co-operating with said by-pass seat, and electrical means including a sleeve with in the casing for controlling the auxiliary valve device.

10. A valve'mechanism including a casgrfi having main inlet and outlet openings,

casing also having therein a chamber for a mam valve and a smaller chamber for an auxiliary valve member, a seat in the main valve chamber arranged to support the weight of a main valve therein, a main valve co-operating with said seat, said valve having a by-pass provided with a seat on the valve, an auxiliary valve member within said smaller chamber, saidlauxiliary valve member having a valve, cooperative with the seat of the by-pass on the valve, and electrical Ibneans controlling the auxiliary valve mem- 11. A valve structure comprising a main valve, a valve seat, a chamber open to line pressure when the main valve is closed, a

second valve seat in said chamber, said main valve being cooperative with both valve seats, means for releasing the pressure in the chamber and unseating the main valve from the second valve seat, said means including a second small valve, the latter having a seat on the main valve.

. 12. A v'alve structurecomprising a main valve, an orifice terminating in a valve seat in the up er. ortion of the main valve, a pressure 0 am r above the main valve and asmall needle-like valve entirely enclosed in the pressure chamber cooperative with the seat on the upper end of the main valve, and electrical means to operate the small valve. v

13. A valve structure comprising a main valve,- a casing with a pressure chamber. therein above the main valve, an orifice in the main valve and a valve seat surrounding the orifice, a small valve havinga small long stem extending through said chamber,

a magnetizable sleeve on thesmall stem alsoenclosed in said chamber and guided in its movements by the sides of the chamber and electrical means for operatmg the sleeve.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed m signature at Los Angeles, California, t 's 13th day of March, 1922.

EDGAR EARLE LITTLEFIELID. 

